Will UPI remain free in 2025? ICICI begins charging, know where other banks stand, RBI rules, and what users should know

ICICI Bank is planning to charge payment aggregators (PAs) for processing UPI transactions, a move confirmed by sources but unacknowledged by the bank. This could lead to increased costs for PAs, potentially trickling down to consumers in the future. For PAs with an escrow account with the bank, the charges will be significantly less as compared to those who do not operate this account with ICICI. Read on to know when, and if, these charges will trickle down to the consumer.